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Cao Dai
Cao Dai is a syncretic religion started in the early 1900s in Vietnam. It operates under the assumption that there is one God, and various religions have been given or uncovered parts of the truth at various times in history, but those were for a specific time and culture. But now begins a time when people can realize that there should be one universal understanding of religion, and understanding that it can work together for a common goal. Cao dai doesn't want to convert everyone to their own religion however, but rather help other religions see themselves in a light that is not mutually exclusive with eachother. They also specifically identify God (named Cao Dai) as primarily YHVH, though they also say that it can be understood that other concepts of god in other religions ultimately refer back to it. Although this is a more obscure religion, the art of Shaddai implies that it was know about by the makers of II, and so its relevant. God Tao. In the beginning, there was nothing before the creation of the material universe but one principle, or monad. This monad is Tao, or the “primordial ether.” This can be associated with the great will in a sense because... God. From the tao emerged God, or cao dai. God divided itself into two parts, one to control Yang, and one lesser one called the mother goddess or mother buddha to control yin. He had to move to vietnam before doing this because like everyone else, YHVH wants an asian girlfriend. Yang here is associated with spirit and infinite light, and yin with matter. So the mother goddess is literally considered a form of mother earth and identified with the physical universe. Which calls to mind obviously mem aleph again. But its also pointed out that in the end, god is one and genderless, everything being derived from the supreme principle. But limited beings by their nature see division, and so God appears as division. God divided its spirit into everything in existence. Not only people and animals, but even rocks. Implying that literally everything has mind in it. Everything in existence has both yin and yang aspects other than God, who is all yang, or infinite light, lacking corruption. But limited things enfleshed in matter were necessary to make a world order to create people that could return to him. Note that “God” is not quite implied to be all powerful. He was a product of the tao, not the other way around. Although some formats talk about the tao as his true essence. God also refers to special saintly figures who have existed in history as himself. Showing that everything is derived from the one principle, and considered part of it. This also ties to how in megaten, special beings can be considered faces of God. Note its not clear if only the male god aspect that corresponds to the female one is limited, or god in general is. Strangely, God in the absolute sense is also compared with nirvana, and called the great emptiness lacking all qualities. So its possible that cao dai in the manifest sense is not then all of god, which the tao is associated with, but an emanation. Like YHVH in game. Note also that the mother goddess despite being good controls yin, which is implied to be negative or corrupt. But which the mixture of was necessary to create the world. Which of course ties to chaotic elements seen as bad in game relating to mem aleph, the earthly side. Note also that mem aleph is represented looking like a Buddha pose statue, which can tie to the title mother buddha. Obviously Cao Dai and the mother buddha are working in unison whereas in megaten yhvh and mem aleph are not. Cosmology The cosmology is similar to buddhism, except that instead of just heavens over the one earth (horizontally at least, since buddhism implies multiple world systems.) there are several planets, with heavens above them, and a highest heaven. You have actually two separate goals. One being creating peace on earth and acing morally, and the other being liberation of yourself across lifetimes. So it places more focus on the long term importance of morality than buddhism does, due to its western influence. And you are ultimately released once you ascend past the highest heaven to nirvana, which requires both extremely high karma and release from clinging to negative mentalities. Once you enter nirvana you merge and become one with God. You can obviously draw parallels to different law endings causing peace on earth, and then in SJ people literally becoming a unified entity with God (or IVA with krishna). You can even relate it somewhat to utilitarianism, though it doesn't explicitly identify as such, since it associates yang with “good emotions” which it ties to good outcomes, and “yin” with negative. Another law aspect. There doesn't seem to be a division between people and spirits. Since there are ranks people can be in rebirths once they transcend human, from angel, to saint, to sage (note that in taoism this also means immortal or god like being), and finally buddha. And only buddas are free from rebirth. So this can be associated in game with the people becoming angels after sufficient law-izing in general. An interesting thing unique to cao dai of all monotheisms is the humility of God. God is emphasized as being very humble. And has a long list of names that combine titles of low religious ranks that implies that he exists and thinks of himself as in some sense a servant for the benefit of all life rather than the other way around. And he is often noted as revealing messages tying him to individuals, talking about how him and them are one, and they should understand this relation in order to more properly finally re-unite. Since all life is built from his spirit, and each person is said to have two aspects to their soul. The aspect that is part of God, and the fallible individual aspect. So he does come off like a moderator of the tao for the benefit of the collective. Something that seems to work into the themes of smt at times. Since of course II when you meet god when on law he acts arrogant and separate from you. And this is implied to be a problem. And again, the added scene of II shows zayin realizing that everything is part of God. emphasizing that the proper functioning of God is not one of arrogance. In IV when you fight ancient of days it talks about how the dispensation of the universe is collective. Which indirectly ties into the humility of God aspect, since in that case, the language implies that its placing the needs of the collective above itself, and acting as their messenger or moderator. Cao dai being a modern religion even ties yin and yang to modern science, implying that within a universe yang is positive energy and yin is negative energy, comprising everything that exists. Also, its founder apparently was originally going to use a new cross design as a symbol before getting a “vision” of the divine eyeball. So as a new syncretist religion which has eastern elements, and karma, but places a seemingly non all powerful version of YHVH at its head, and wants to create world peace on every world before ultimately merging them with god, it parralels a lot of aspects of smt cosmology and law especially closely. Its also more egalitarian (though not perfect) than some religious hierarchies, since it has a large hierarchy of priests and bishops and a pope based off of a combination of the catholic church and a government, but all positions other than the highest two individuals, the pope and some other pope equivalent are open to either sex.